[2030 Busan World Expo] Busan hosts key figures from Colombia and Peru in hopes to host Expo 2030

Busan has invited three major figures from Colombia and Peru for a tour of the city as the southern port city of South Korea looks to host the World Expo in 2030.

The city government said Wednesday that Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon invited Tito Jose Crissien Borrero, minister of Science, Technology and Innovation for Colombia; Nicolas Del Castillo Piedrahita, head of Colombia’s National Aquaculture and Fisheries Authority; and Jorge Vicente Martin Munoz Wells, mayor of Lima, Peru, for a two-day tour of Busan until Thursday.

The mayor invited the three figures for a dinner event Wednesday where he was scheduled to unveil the vision of Busan and South Korea for the co-growth with the global society, while working to strike agreements for international cooperation with Colombia and Peru.

The city government said Park considers the two countries as valued potential partners for food supply, public health and fourth industrial revolution.

The three invited figures are scheduled to tour the automobile factory of Renault Korea in the city and visit the Busan Port Authority for a ship ride around the city’s coast lines. They are also scheduled for an additional tour of Busan with an air cruise.

“I sincerely hope to welcome key figures from Central and South Americas with the upmost hospitality to Busan in 2030,” Park said in a statement. “We will concentrate all efforts until the last moment to have Busan host the World Expo in 2030.”

Busan is one of the five cities that have submitted bids to host the Expo 2030. The city is competing against Moscow of Russia, Italy’s Rome, Riyadh of Saudi Arabia and Odesa of Ukraine. The host country of Expo 2030 is to be elected in 2023 by member states of the International Bureau of Expositions.

By Ko Jun-tae (ko.juntae@heraldcorp.com)